Field of the Invention—The present invention relates generally to a pivotally manipulable toy, and more particularly to a multi-segment pivotally manipulable toy with apertures in a number of the segments to facilitate aiding a user to configure the toy into any of a plurality of shapes each exposing a stated number of apertures.
In the past it has frequently been difficult to teach children in a manner that is both enjoyable and educational for the children. Teaching children the letters of the alphabet and numbers in an enjoyable manner has been the goal of many toy manufacturers for some time. Past toys that could be formed into the letters of the alphabet or numbers have often had multiple parts that could easily be lost. Such toys have also typically been difficult to manipulate correctly to form the letters or numbers. Many of these toys have been complicated and so difficult to manipulate as to frustrate the child, with many children being unsure as to whether they had manipulated the toy properly to correctly form the desired letters or numbers. These toys also often have a plethora of links or sections which have made it nearly impossible for a young child who is beginning to learn the alphabet and to count to form letters or numbers correctly.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a pivotally manipulable toy that is educational, fun, and easy enough for a child as young as approximately two years of age to manipulate. It is also desirable that such a toy does not have multiple separate pieces that could tend to easily be lost. It is also desirable to provide a toy that has a verification system enabling a child using the toy to be certain as to whether or not the toy has been manipulated correctly to form a letter or numeral. It is also desirable to provide a toy that can be formed into many different shapes in addition to letters and numbers. It is further desirable to provide a manual that illustrates the toy in many different configurations forming many different shapes correctly.
Such a toy should also be of a construction which is both durable and long lasting, and it should also require little or no maintenance or special handling to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. In order to enhance the market appeal of such a toy, it should also be of relatively inexpensive construction to thereby afford it the broadest possible market. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of such a toy be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.